Can Green Tea Help You Fight Gum Disease?

Tea seems to have a positive effect on your dental health. Drinking tea lowers your risk of developing cavities as well as gum disease.

One study found that tea may reduce cavity formation by up to 75 percent. This happens for a number of reasons. The fluoride content of the tea inhibits cavities from developing. Tea also seems to inhibit bacteria from adhering to tooth surfaces, while it also inhibits the rate of acid production of oral bacteria.

Both men and women can improve bone health by drinking tea. Studies that focused on the risk of hip fracture found that habitual tea consumption. especially when maintained for more than ten years, has been shown to have a significant benefit to bone-mineral density. This seems to be due to the fact that some of the flavonoids in tea have phytoestrogen activity, which benefits bone health. Moreover, some tea extracts seem to inhibit bone resorption.

One recent study found that oolong tea is successful in treating atopic dermatitis; this is no doubt due in part to the anti-allergic properties of tea. This benefit was noticed after one or two weeks of drinking tea. In this study, a 1/3-ounce tea bag that steeped for five minutes in just over four cups of boiling water was consumed in three parts, one with each meal.